Chaplain Thomas F. With Chief Chaplain (2022 - 2024) Thomas With was appointed to Director of Region 6 East in April 2016, before being elected 2nd Deputy Chief Chaplain in April 2018. He serves the Fuller Road FD of Colonie NY, as their Chaplain since 2001, an Interior Firefighter and Safety Officer. Offices previously held were Fire Police Lt., 1st and 2nd Lt., and Captain in charge of Training. Tom also serves on the Town of Colonie Emergency Services Committee as Operations CAR 8, assisting specifically the Town Fire Police, since 1996. He is a Past President of the Hudson Mohawk VFA; the Volunteer Fire Police Association of the State of NY; The Fire Police Association of Albany County; and, Past Chairman of the NYS Fire Service Council 2006-2007. He is current Chairman of the Albany County Burn Fund; current Director at Large for the VFPASNY; 2018 appointment FASNY Asst. Sgt. At Arms; and, Past County Vice-President in the Hudson Valley VFA. Tom is also recipient of his Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year, Hudson Valley VFA Fire Police Officer of the Year, and, was honored by the Volunteer Fire Police Assn. of the State of New York with their annual seminar now titled as the “Annual Thomas With Fire Police Training Seminar”, held at the New York State Fire Academy. He is currently a member of FASNY; NYS Fire Chiefs; Hudson Mohawk VFA; Hudson Valley VFA; Cumberland Valley VFA; The Fire Police Association of Albany County; Volunteer Fire Police Association of the State of New York; Volunteer Fire Judging Association; the Royal Order of Blues Vests; New York State Fire Service Council; the National Volunteer Fire Council; and, of course the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains. Tom's Contact Information: tomwith@hotmail.com 518-378-7074 (c)(text) 34 Woodside Avenue Albany, NY 12205 _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Richard G. Bolster 1st Deputy Chief Chaplain _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Joseph P. McCarthy 2nd Deputy Chief Chaplain 
Chaplain Joseph McCarthy was appointed to the Board of Directors of the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains, Inc. at the October 8, 2018 Board of Directors meeting as our New York State At Large Director. Joe has been involved in the Volunteer Fire Service for 30 years and has served as a 2nd Lt., 1st Lt., Captain of Rescue Squad, Hook and Ladder, Fire Police, Chief Driver of Ambulance, E.M.T.D.I., and Chair and Co-Chair of many Fundraising activities. Chaplain McCarthy has received the Firefighter of the Year Award and belongs to the Firefighter’s Memorial Executive Committee, Fire Chief’s Council of Suffolk County (serving as Co-Chaplain), and is a Team Leader for Suffolk County Emergency Services Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Joe is a former Child Care Worker for Hearing Impaired Children and is a former safety technician at a federal facility. He is also a NYS Licensed Real Estate Broker, and is a former member of his local Town Affordable Housing Committee and has been a lifelong advocate for the disadvantaged. He is the Chaplain of the Fire Chiefs Council of Suffolk County and joined the association in 2013. Joe’s contact information: jomaceb@aol.com (631) 765-0005 (home) (631) 740-1743 (cell-voice and text) PO Box 554 Southold, NY 11971-0554 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Leon I. VanWie Supply Officer Chaplain Leon I. VanWie was the Chief Chaplain for the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains, Inc. from 2020 - 2022. He retired in 2017 after serving 44 years as a United Methodist pastor serving churches in western, central and northern New York. Rev. VanWie has been active in the fire service since 1976 and was an EMT for over 15 years. Currently he is the Chaplain and President for the Town of Watertown Volunteer Fire Department and is Chaplain for the City of Watertown Fire Department. He also serves as Jefferson County Car 51, along with Chaplain Sam Lundy, as a Deputy Fire Coordinator for chaplain services. He also belongs to numerous county and state fire organizations. Leon's Contact Information: leonvanwie@gmail.com 315-771-9142 (voice)(text) _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain William A. Miles
Executive Secretary
Past Chief Chaplain (2006-2008)
Bill's Contact Information: _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain David Quinn Treasurer _________________________________________________________________________________
Chaplain
Thomas J. Flander, Jr.
Regional Director – North
Central
Chaplain Thomas J. Flander, Jr. is the Director of Region 4
North Central for the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains, Inc. He currently serves as Pastor of the Glen
Reformed Church in the Hamlet of Glen, NY. He is also employed with the New York State
Department of Transportation. Pastor Tom
has been active in the EMS and fire service since 1996. He currently serves as Captain / Chaplain for
the Town of Mohawk Volunteer Fire Department that resides outside of the
Village of Fonda in Montgomery County, NY. Pastor Tom also serves on the Critical
Incident Stress Management (CISM) for Montgomery County Emergency Management. Chaplain Flander can be reached through the
New York State Association of Fire Chaplains. _________________________________________________________________________________
Chaplain Clarice Murphy
New York State At Large Director _________________________________________________________________________________
Chaplain
Robert H. Ruston
Regional
Director – South East
Chaplain Robert Ruston joined
the NYS Association of Fire Chaplains in 1986, and has served as a Director of
the Association since 2013. Beginning
his fire service in 1955 with the New Hampshire Forest Fire Service while in a
prominent school. Returning home to
Bronxville, NY in 1956 he became a member of the City of Yonkers Auxiliary FD
in which he was a recipient of a NYS Civilian Award. In 1958, Bob joined the Eastchester Fire
Department’s Bronxville Engine & Hose Company rapidly rising to the office
of Captain. He also became President of
the EFD’s Officers’ Association. During
this period, he often rode with FDNY’s Engine 82 and Ladder 31 in the Bronx. In 1971 he transferred from the Eastchester FD
to the Somers Volunteer Fire Department in which he achieved the positions of
Lieutenant of its rescue/ambulance as an EMT, as well as in the Department’s
Fire Police. He is a Life Member of the Somers
VFD, and served the Department as its Secretary for a period of fifteen
years. He is the Department’s Chaplain. Bob had joined the Westchester County
Volunteer Firemen’s Association when he was a member of the Bronxville Eng.
& Hose Company. In 1981 he became
its Secretary, a position he held for thirty-five years. He also was a representative to the
Westchester County EMS Council. He
continues in the Association as a Life Member serving as Chaplain since 1986,
and also on its EMS and Fire Police committees.
In 2012, Bob was awarded a Certificate of Special Commendation by the
United States Congress in recognition for his outstanding community services
that encompassed his volunteer activities throughout the State and the Hudson
Valley. Bob is a Chaplain with the
Hudson Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association, also serving its Fire Police
Committee. Since the late 1970’s, he
continues as a Director of the New York State Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue
Association, and is also the Secretary of its District Five in Orange County. He has served nearly 48 years as a member of
FASNY, and roughly 23 years with the Volunteer Fire Police Association of the
State of New York (VFPASNY), in which he is Chairman of the southern Hudson
Valley Region. He also serves the State Association
as one of its chaplains. Bob is a
Director, as well as a chaplain in the Dutchess County Volunteer Firemen’s
Association. In Dutchess, he is also a
member of the Volunteer Fire Police Association, serving as its Secretary (30
years), and chaplain. He is also
Chaplain of the Volunteer Fire Police Association of Ulster County. Bob's Contact Information: rrusto@aol.com 845-569-2101 (telephone) 845-569-2102 (fax) 10 Howard
Drive Newburgh, NY 12550 _________________________________________________________________________________
Chaplain Patrick Vanderbeck
Regional Director – West
 Chaplain Patrick A. Vanderbeck is the West Region Director
for the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains, Inc. He served 25 years
in the military as a disaster preparedness specialist and emergency manager. He
also worked 11 years for the federal government as a security manager. He currently
works for the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office as a School Violence Prevention
Coordinator. Since 1997, he has been an active first responder and firefighter
with Olcott Fire Rescue. In 2010, he was appointed the fire company chaplain.
As a member of the Western New York Stress Reduction Program, he provides peer-to-peer
support to emergency service providers in Niagara, Erie and Wyoming counties. Patrick's Contact Information: patrick.vanderbeck@juno.com (716) 531-3127 (text and voice) _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Kevin Bowman Regional Director – East _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Thomas Doyle
Regional Director - North
_________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Keith Gates
Regional Director –
Central _________________________________________________________________________________
Chaplain Spencer P.
Kennedy
Regional Director - West
Central Chaplain
Spencer Kennedy, West Central Director Chaplain for the New York State
Association of Fire Chaplains, Inc. He retired in 1990 as a Command
Sergeant after serving 21 years in the Town of Brighton Police
Department, Rochester, NY. Chaplain Kennedy has been active in the Fire
Service since 1980 and was an EMT for over 6 years as a Police Sergeant, NYS
Certified 1st Responder Volunteer Fire Fighter, reaching the Rank of
Captain. Currently he is the Assistant to the Chaplain and Captain of the
Fire Police Unit for the Brighton Volunteer Fire Department in Rochester, NY.
Chaplain Kennedy joined the NYS Chaplains Organization in 2008 and serves on
the Board of Directors. He the West Central Director Serving a six
county area (Monroe, Livingston, Steuben, Yates, Ontario and Wayne Counties).
He also belongs to numerous county and state fire organizations and is a Life
Member of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. Chaplain Kennedy is a
Member and Ordained Deacon in the Greater Consistory of Trinity Reformed Church
in Brighton, NY. Spence's Contact Information: spence.kennedy@brightonfd.org spknjk@frontiernet.net 585-442-7223 _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain Regional Director - South _________________________________________________________________________________ Past Chief Chaplains Chaplain Leon I. VanWie Immediate Past Chief Chaplain (2020-2022) Chaplain Leon I. VanWie was the Chief Chaplain for the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains, Inc. from 2020 - 2022. He retired in 2017 after serving 44 years as a United Methodist pastor serving churches in western, central and northern New York. Rev. VanWie has been active in the fire service since 1976 and was an EMT for over 15 years. Currently he is the Chaplain and President for the Town of Watertown Volunteer Fire Department and is Chaplain for the City of Watertown Fire Department. He also serves as Jefferson County Car 51, along with Chaplain Sam Lundy, as a Deputy Fire Coordinator for chaplain services. He also belongs to numerous county and state fire organizations. _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain William Mayo Chief Chaplain (2018-2020) _________________________________________________________________________________ Chaplain James Van Houten Chief Chaplain (2016-2018) |